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The picanha grelhada from Boteco, with sirloin steak, rice, beans, fried egg, toasted yucca flour, and pepper.
The picanha grelhada from Boteco, with sirloin steak, rice, beans, fried egg, toasted yucca flour, and pepper.
Jessica R./Yelp

14 Great Latin American Restaurants in Austin

Where to find bistec, empanadas, alfajores, and more

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The picanha grelhada from Boteco, with sirloin steak, rice, beans, fried egg, toasted yucca flour, and pepper.
| Jessica R./Yelp

Mexican restaurants anchor Austin’s Latin food scene with taco trucks and restaurants all over town. But when you’re craving Latin cuisines, there are more options to choose from than one might think, serving up marinated raw fish, hefty grilled meats, and stuffed empanadas.

The city is rich with great Latin American restaurants and food trucks, from sweets and snacks at Café Nenai to freshly made arepas at Artessano to Peruvian ceviche at Yuyo to meaty dishes at Casa Colombia to pupusas from El Sunzal.

For the purposes of this map, Eater focused on restaurants with South American and Caribbean menus. Scope out Austin’s best Tex-Mex restaurants, tacos, and breakfast tacos. Look out for our guide to the best Mexican restaurants sometime next week.

Are there any favorite Latin restaurants missing below? Let Eater know through the tipline or in the comments below.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine

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This unassuming Highland restaurant is known for its home-style Puerto Rican dishes that tend to be meat- and seafood-heavy. Be sure to try the mofongo, made up of mashed plantains and chicharrones.

Pernil with white rice and red beans at Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine
Pernil with white rice and red beans at Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine
Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine/Yelp

Lima Criolla

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Ceviche, meats, rice and bean dishes, and dessert favorites like alfajores (essentially dulce de leche sandwich cookies) are what you’ll find at the Peruvian restaurant in the Linc. Cocktails are made with pisco, a South American brandy.

Lomo saltado at Lima Criolla
Lomo saltado at Lima Criolla
Lima Criolla/Facebook

Sao Paulo's Restaurant

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Yes, the Brazilian campus restaurant was supposed to shutter two years ago, but the owners decided against it because of how popular it was. Among the regional dishes is the bobo de camarao, a plate of shrimp and yucca cooked in a tomato-coconut cream sauce.

The bobo de camarao at Sao Paulo
The bobo de camarao at Sao Paulo
Michelle C./Yelp

Fresh seafood shines at the Cherrywood restaurant, with made-to-order ceviches and tiraditos (sashimi-like raw fish). Other menu items include casual Peruvian street food and traditional dishes. Be sure to try the alfajores for some sweets and a cocktail. Pisco is used in just about every drink.

Tempura soft shell crab with orange-lime aioli at Yuyo
Tempura soft shell crab with orange-lime aioli at Yuyo
Yuyo/Facebook

Tucked away off East 7th is Boteco, a bright yellow food truck that serves authentic Brazilian street food that keeps patrons coming back for more. Of note are the coxinha (essentially Brazilian chicken croquettes). Boteco recently expanded with a grilled skewer truck outside of Craftsman on East Cesar Chavez.

Dishes from Boteco
Dishes from Boteco
Boteco/Facebook

Buenos Aires Café

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This bright, beautifully painted restaurant brings Argentinian flavors to Austin’s east side. The varied menu from the Eater 38 restaurant boasts small plates like empanadas and small bites to larger dishes, like the roasted chicken breast, roasted wild boar, and herb-crusted lamb.

Parrillada at Buenos Aires Café
Parrillada at Buenos Aires Café
Buenos Aires Café/Facebook

Artessano

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This Colombian food truck serves authentic dishes like fresh juices, empanadas, arepas, and patacones (fried green plantains). For a larger meal, try the Colombian bowl, complete with rice, beans, patacones, avocado, and choice of protein like chorizo or shredded chicken.

Patacones with chicken at Artessano
Patacones with chicken at Artessano
Artessano/Facebook

Four Brothers

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With multiple locations around town, this Venezuelan food truck features staples like arepas and cachapa, a sweet corncake served with cheese and butter. Be sure to check the menu, as each location’s offerings differ slightly.

Pork arepa at Four Brothers
Pork arepa at Four Brothers
Four Brothers/Facebook

Casa Colombia

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This family-friendly east side restaurant focuses on traditional meat dishes like churrasco, bistec criollo (steak cooked in sauce), and bandeja paisa, which is a beef sirloin dish served with white rice, red beans, sweet plantains, avocado, and topped with a fried egg. Plentiful fish and vegetable options are also available.

Churrasco with rice and pinto beans at Casa Colombia
Churrasco with rice and pinto beans at Casa Colombia
Casa Colombia/Facebook

El Sunzal Restaurant

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The Salvadoran restaurant in Holly serves up excellent pupusas filled with cheese, beans, and meat.

Pupusas from El Sunzal
Pupusas from El Sunzal
Jimmy G./Yelp

Sabor a Honduras

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For Honduran food, stop by Sabor a Honduras in East Riverside for baleadas (thick flour tortillas filled with mashed-up fried red beans) and fried bananas.

The baleada especial at Sabor a Honduras
The baleada especial at Sabor a Honduras
Sabor a Honduras/Yelp

Café Nenai

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Cuban coffee and South American cuisines blend together to enhance this homey, mother-daughter run café. Stop by for a ham and cheese empanada paired with a cafecito (Cuban espresso with sugar) for a mid-morning or afternoon boost.

Empanadas and soda at Cafe Nenai
Empanadas and soda at Cafe Nena’i
Cafe Nenai/Facebook

Cuba512

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Located in South Austin, Cuba512 offers guests an easy Cuban dining experience in a laid-back atmosphere. Chef specialties include arroz con pollo, ropa vieja (stewed beef with vegetables), and mariscada Cubana, which is a combination of seasoned rice and an assortment of seafood.

Ropa vieja from Cuba512
Ropa vieja from Cuba512
Todd M./Yelp

Cafe Ybor

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Since Cuban Sandwich Cafe is closed, look to the roaming food truck Cafe Ybor for Cuban sandwiches.

Cuban sandwich from Cafe Ybor
Cuban sandwich from Cafe Ybor
Thomas B./Yelp

Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine

This unassuming Highland restaurant is known for its home-style Puerto Rican dishes that tend to be meat- and seafood-heavy. Be sure to try the mofongo, made up of mashed plantains and chicharrones.

Pernil with white rice and red beans at Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine
Pernil with white rice and red beans at Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine
Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine/Yelp

Lima Criolla

Ceviche, meats, rice and bean dishes, and dessert favorites like alfajores (essentially dulce de leche sandwich cookies) are what you’ll find at the Peruvian restaurant in the Linc. Cocktails are made with pisco, a South American brandy.

Lomo saltado at Lima Criolla
Lomo saltado at Lima Criolla
Lima Criolla/Facebook

Sao Paulo's Restaurant

Yes, the Brazilian campus restaurant was supposed to shutter two years ago, but the owners decided against it because of how popular it was. Among the regional dishes is the bobo de camarao, a plate of shrimp and yucca cooked in a tomato-coconut cream sauce.

The bobo de camarao at Sao Paulo
The bobo de camarao at Sao Paulo
Michelle C./Yelp

Yuyo

Fresh seafood shines at the Cherrywood restaurant, with made-to-order ceviches and tiraditos (sashimi-like raw fish). Other menu items include casual Peruvian street food and traditional dishes. Be sure to try the alfajores for some sweets and a cocktail. Pisco is used in just about every drink.

Tempura soft shell crab with orange-lime aioli at Yuyo
Tempura soft shell crab with orange-lime aioli at Yuyo
Yuyo/Facebook

Boteco

Tucked away off East 7th is Boteco, a bright yellow food truck that serves authentic Brazilian street food that keeps patrons coming back for more. Of note are the coxinha (essentially Brazilian chicken croquettes). Boteco recently expanded with a grilled skewer truck outside of Craftsman on East Cesar Chavez.

Dishes from Boteco
Dishes from Boteco
Boteco/Facebook

Buenos Aires Café

This bright, beautifully painted restaurant brings Argentinian flavors to Austin’s east side. The varied menu from the Eater 38 restaurant boasts small plates like empanadas and small bites to larger dishes, like the roasted chicken breast, roasted wild boar, and herb-crusted lamb.

Parrillada at Buenos Aires Café
Parrillada at Buenos Aires Café
Buenos Aires Café/Facebook

Artessano

This Colombian food truck serves authentic dishes like fresh juices, empanadas, arepas, and patacones (fried green plantains). For a larger meal, try the Colombian bowl, complete with rice, beans, patacones, avocado, and choice of protein like chorizo or shredded chicken.

Patacones with chicken at Artessano
Patacones with chicken at Artessano
Artessano/Facebook

Four Brothers

With multiple locations around town, this Venezuelan food truck features staples like arepas and cachapa, a sweet corncake served with cheese and butter. Be sure to check the menu, as each location’s offerings differ slightly.

Pork arepa at Four Brothers
Pork arepa at Four Brothers
Four Brothers/Facebook

Casa Colombia

This family-friendly east side restaurant focuses on traditional meat dishes like churrasco, bistec criollo (steak cooked in sauce), and bandeja paisa, which is a beef sirloin dish served with white rice, red beans, sweet plantains, avocado, and topped with a fried egg. Plentiful fish and vegetable options are also available.

Churrasco with rice and pinto beans at Casa Colombia
Churrasco with rice and pinto beans at Casa Colombia
Casa Colombia/Facebook

El Sunzal Restaurant

The Salvadoran restaurant in Holly serves up excellent pupusas filled with cheese, beans, and meat.

Pupusas from El Sunzal
Pupusas from El Sunzal
Jimmy G./Yelp

Sabor a Honduras

For Honduran food, stop by Sabor a Honduras in East Riverside for baleadas (thick flour tortillas filled with mashed-up fried red beans) and fried bananas.

The baleada especial at Sabor a Honduras
The baleada especial at Sabor a Honduras
Sabor a Honduras/Yelp

Café Nenai

Cuban coffee and South American cuisines blend together to enhance this homey, mother-daughter run café. Stop by for a ham and cheese empanada paired with a cafecito (Cuban espresso with sugar) for a mid-morning or afternoon boost.

Empanadas and soda at Cafe Nenai
Empanadas and soda at Cafe Nena’i
Cafe Nenai/Facebook

Cuba512

Located in South Austin, Cuba512 offers guests an easy Cuban dining experience in a laid-back atmosphere. Chef specialties include arroz con pollo, ropa vieja (stewed beef with vegetables), and mariscada Cubana, which is a combination of seasoned rice and an assortment of seafood.

Ropa vieja from Cuba512
Ropa vieja from Cuba512
Todd M./Yelp

Cafe Ybor

Since Cuban Sandwich Cafe is closed, look to the roaming food truck Cafe Ybor for Cuban sandwiches.

Cuban sandwich from Cafe Ybor
Cuban sandwich from Cafe Ybor
Thomas B./Yelp

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